Football is undeniably the most popular kind of sports in the world, and millions of football fans around the globe are passionate supporters of their favorite football teams. Famous footballers are as rich and beloved by the public as iconic singers and actors.
David Beckham is known for being the highest paid footballer in the world, but there are plenty of Nigerian football players that have accumulated considerable wealth over the course of their careers. Find out who is the richest footballer in Nigeria!
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1. Nwankwo Kanu
Nwankwo Kanu, who has been the richest footballer in Nigeria for years, is now one of the best-known Nigerian football players with a career that spanned over 16 years. Although Nwankwo Kanu, or Kanu, as his fans affectionately call him, is now retired, his accomplishments are still the subject of legends among football fans.
Kanu has made quite a fortune during his years as an active player, and he’s not stopping now. Currently, Kanu is an owner of several luxury hotels and the hottest nightclub in Victoria Island. In addition to that, he is a UNICEF ambassador, a charity founder, and an investor of a bottled water business.
2. Ahmed Musa
Ahmed Musa is one of the youngest Nigerian football players that have achieved international recognition, but he’s already competing for the title of the highest paid player in Nigeria league. Besides playing for the Nigerian team, Ahmed is also a star player for Leicester City club.
Although Ahmed Musa hasn’t managed to accumulate incredible wealth due to being pretty young, he could very well be the richest footballer in Nigeria 2016 with a weekly pay of $77,000, which is more than many Nigerian football players can even dream of.
3. Jay-Jay Okocha
Jay-Jay Okocha is another legendary Nigerian football player. For many years his name was the answer to the question: “Who is the richest footballer in Africa?” His career spanned for more than two decades, and during this time he played for England, Germany, Turkey, and Qatar, as well as his home country.
Unlike many other football players, Jay-Jay doesn’t have the desire to become the richest Nigerian – he has owned several businesses, but he is far from being a business tycoon. Instead, Mr. Okocha is focused on helping the disadvantaged youth by offering scholarships.
4. Obafemi Martins
Obafemi Martins is one of the few famous Nigerian football players that have left Nigeria at a young age – by the age of 16, he was already playing for international teams, including Italy, England, Germany, and Russia, in addition to being part of the Nigeria national team.
Right now Obafemi Martins is making $1,600,000 a year, which may earn him the title of the richest Nigerian footballer the world. Obafemi is a proud owner of property in Lagos and Italy, as well as a luxury Mercedes McLaren convertible.
5. Odion Ighalo
Finally, the highest paid Nigerian footballer 2017 is Odion Ighalo, who is 28 years old and has had a marvelous 10-year career. After spending several years playing for Udinese, in early 2017 he joined Changchun Yatai F.C., the famous Chinese Super League club.
Odion Ighalo didn’t become the highest paid Nigerian footballer until his transition to the Chinese club, where he was awarded a weekly salary of $250,000 until 2020 when his contract expires. Everyone is curious to see where life takes Odion next!
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